The
Building of Rosafah
When Ustad Sees revolted, Khorasan
was governed by Mahdi. He lived at Merv. Khazim bin Khuzaima also lodged with
him and attacked at the instance of Mansoor. Becoming free from this trouble,
Mahdi went to Mansoor. At that time, the dominating elements of power were the
Arab tribes and they alone were responsible for all the territorial victories.
The non-Arabs and Khorasanis did not claim to be equal to the Arabs in military
expertise. The Arab tribes were feared because if they united in opposition,
they could topple the government at any time. Imam Ibrahim was the first to
realize this fact and adopted the policy of strengthening the non-Arabs and
utilizing them to his advantage. His successors also followed suit. Following
this strategy, Abdullah Saffah had Abu Sulamih killed, and appointed Khalid bin
Barmak as his minister, who was originally a Zoroastrian from Nawbahar, a new
Muslim and a military chief of Abu Muslim. After a short time, he was made the
governor of a state. Abu Ayyub replaced him and Mansoor made him the minister
again. The Zoroastrians were assigned as military chiefs and governors of
various states and their power continued to rise but the military element of
the Arabs was still dominant.
This policy reminds us of the Indian
King Akbar and his dual policy, which he had adopted to safeguard himself
against the powerful and influential Pathans, in India. He thought it essential
to breathe a new life into the dead Hindu community and make them powerful in
order to avert and lessen the danger from the Pathans so much so that he made
Man Singh the commander-in-chief of India and continued his efforts to weaken
the Pathans everywhere. The Abbasids also reduced the power and Arab tribes and
replaced them by the fire-worshippers and the Iranians so that no Alawiite
would dare to rise in revolt with the support of the Arab tribes. On the
occasion of Mahdi's return from Khorasan and appearance before Mansoor, the
Arab soldiers, in order to receive compensation, behaved in such a way that
exhibited their independence of mind and strong will.
They were not in the habit of
showing respect to their king or caliph unnecessarily like the fireworshipping
Zoroastrians. This kept the Abbasids in perpetual fear. Perhaps it was this
independence of mind that never deterred them from joining every new movement
and every new claimant to the caliphate. Qasam bin Abbas bin Obaidullah bin Abbas,
after watching and studying the condition of the army, cleverly created a
rivalry and animosity between two Arab tribes, Rabia and Mudar. Then he advised
Mansoor, saying, "As there is enmity between the tribes of Mudar and
Rabia, it is reasonable that you divide the army into two parts. Keep the Mudar
tribe under Mahdi because the Khorasanis are their supporters and keep the
Rabia tribe under you because all the Yemenis are their sympathizers. With two
army headquarters set up on different sides they will be kept afraid of each
other, ruling out any possibility of mutiny."
Mansoor liked the idea and for the
living quarters of his son Mahdi he ordered Rosafah to be constructed to the
north of Baghdad in 151 A.H. and to set up a separate cantonment for his forces
there. That same year 153 A.H. Mohammad Ash'ath died on his return journey from
the Roman territories.
In 153 A.H., Mansoor made a
proclamation to the effect that all his subjects should put on high caps that
were made of bamboo and leaves. These caps were generally used by Africans. In
154 A.H. Zafar bin Asim invaded Rome. In 155 A.H. the Roman emperor, becoming
exhausted from repeated invasions by the Muslims, requested for reconciliation
and agreed to pay the Jizyah.
The
Death of Mansoor
In 158 A.H., Mansoor wrote to the
administrator of Makkah to arrest Sufyan Thouri and Abbad bin Katheer and send
them to him. The people apprehended that he might murder them. The season of
Hajj was approaching and Mansoor had made up his mind to go to Hajj. This
caused concern among the Makkans even more. Only Allah knew how many people
would be arrested and killed. But the Makkan's prayer was granted and Mansoor
died before reaching Makkah. The details of the incident are as follows. In the
month of Dhul Qada 158 A.H., Mansoor left for Baghdad with the intention of
Hajj. At the time of departure he made his son Mahdi his deputy there and made
the "Protect the box containing my dairies and look for solutions to your
problems therein. Safeguard the city of Baghdad and don't change or shift the
capital. I have accumulated treasure that will suffice to pay the salaries of
the soldiers and meet other administrative expenditures even if no tax is
collected for 10 years. Deal with your relatives kindly, honor them and appoint
them to high posts. I exhort you to treat the Khorasanis well for they are your
helpers and your right hand and have sacrificed their lives and material for
establishing the government and rule of your family. I think you will not be
able to forget their love. Excuse their mistakes and please them with gifts and
rewards for their remarkable achievements. Beware! Don't seek help from anybody
belonging to Banu Sulaim. Don't allow your women to poke their noses into your
affairs. Protect the community of the Prophet (SAW). Don't shed unnecessary and
unlawful blood. Abide by the limits prescribed by Allah. Attack the atheists
and stamp out alterations in the religion or any schism. Do justice and don't
be immoderate. Leave the spoils for the soldiers for I have left you a huge
treasure. Protect your borders and see that the roads are safe and peaceful.
Take care of the peoples' property. Don't part with the group. Always be ready
with cavalry and foot soldiers in as large numbers as possible. Don't postpone
your work for the morrow. Be firm in times of adversity and misfortune. Don't
be lazy. Make it easy for the people to visit your court. Beware of the
doorkeepers and see that they are not strict with the people."
Mansoor left Baghdad and arrived in
Kufa. He entered in the state of Ihram (the rituals) for Hajj and Umrah and
sent ahead the sacrificial animals. He had hardly traveled two or three stages
from Kufa when he was taken ill. During that illness, he kept his liberated
slave Rabi, who was his doorkeeper and officer of his bodyguards, in
attendance. He died on 6 Dhul Hijjah 158 A.H. at Batan, a place three miles
from Makkah. No one except his chief attendants and Rabi were present at the
time of his death. They concealed the news of his death that day. The next day
Isa bin Ali, Isa bin Musa bin Mohammad, Mohammad bin Sulaiman, Ibrahim bin
Yahya, Qasim bin Mansoor, Hasan bin Zaid Alawi, Musa bin Mahdi bin Mansoor, and
Ali bin Isa bin Mahan who accompanied him on the journey, were called to appear
in the court. Rabi announced the news of the caliph's death. He then read out a
paper written by Mansoor, which said:
In the name of Allah, the Most
Beneficent and Merciful. From Abdullah Mansoor to those who remain of Banu
Hashim, Khorasanis and the general Muslims. I am writing this will during my
lifetime, the last day of this world and the first day of my hereafter. I offer
you the greeting of peace and Pray Allah not to put you into any mischief nor
to divide you into sects nor give you a chance to taste civil war. You have
admitted to obey my son Mahdi, abide by it and refrain from breach of trust and
betrayal.
Having read the paper Rabi beckoned
Musa bin Mahdi bin Mansoor to take the oath on behalf of his father Mahdi as
his deputy. He first caught hold of Hasan bin Zaid's hands and asked him to get
up and take the oath. Hasan complied, and the others followed suit one after
another. Isa bin Musa refused. Ali bin Isa bin Mahan said, "If you refuse
to take the oath, I shall chop off your head." Thus forced Isa bin Musa
also took the oath then the chiefs of the army and the general public followed.
Then Abbas bin Mohammad and Mohammad bin Sulaiman visited Makkah and standing
near to the Ka'bah, they took the oaths of the people for Mahdi. Then Isa bin
Musa led the funeral prayer. He was buried in the 'Mu'alla' graveyard in
between Hajoon and Maimoon well. Then Rabi sent the news of Mansoor's death,
his ring and the Prophet's coverlet and staff to Mahdi. The news reached Mahdi
in Baghdad on 15 Dhul Hijjah 158 A.H. The inhabitants of the city came to Mahdi
and took the oath.
Mansoor was Caliph for 22 years less
one week. He left seven sons and one daughter. The names of his sons were:
Mohammad Mahdi, Jafar Akbar, Jafar Asghar, Sulaiman, Isa, Yaqub, and Salim. The
name of his daughter was Aliyah who was married to Ishaq bin Sulaiman bin Ali.
Somebody asked Caliph Mansoor,
"Have you any wish that has remained unfulfilled?" He said,
"Only one wish is left to be fulfilled. And that is: I am sitting on a
platform and the seekers of the Ahadith are sitting around me." The next
day when the ministers came to him with papers, registers of litigation and
writing utensils, the man who had put the question to Mansoor was also present
at the time. He said, "Lo! Your wish has also been fulfilled."
Mansoor said, "These are not the people I wish for those, that I long for
have torn clothes, bare feet and long hair and they narrate Ahadith."
When Mansoor persuaded Imam Malik to
compile the Muwatta, he said to him, "O Abu Abdullah! You know that none
except you and I are left in Islam who know the Shariah best. I am engaged in
the wrangling of the caliphate and its authority. You are free. Write a book
for the benefit of the people. Don't fill the book with the justifications of
Ibn Abbas and the violence and prudence of Ibn Omar and set an example of
composition and compilation for the people." Imam Malik says, "By
Allah! Mansoor did not say these things but taught me how to write."
Abdus Samad Mohammad said to
Mansoor, "You have girded your loins to punish people so much that none
has the inkling that you know how to forgive." He replied, "The blood
of the descendants of Marwan has not dried up and the swords of the descendants
of Abi Talib are still bare. This is the time when their hearts are not
overawed by the caliphs and this awe cannot be established unless they forget
the meaning of forgiveness and always expect to be punished." Zeyad bin
Abdullah Harithi wrote to Mansoor to increase his salary and property rights a
little. He used all his art of eloquence in its presentation. Mansoor replied,
"When prosperity and eloquence come to a man, they make him
self-conceited.
I apprehend this danger in you. It
is better if you give up eloquence." The African Rahman bin Zeyad had been
Mansoor's friend since his student days. Once during his caliphate he paid a
visit to him. Mansoor said to him, "How do you find my caliphate compared
to that of Banu Umayyah?" Abdur Rahman bin Zeyad said, "The
atrocities that are perpetrated in your regime, were non-existent in that of
Banu Umayyah." Mansoor said, "What should I do? I don't find
helpers." Abdur Rahman said, "Omar bin Abdul Aziz (رضي الله عنه) said, "If the king is pious, he will
get pious people. If he is wicked, the wicked will come to him." Once
Mansoor was fed up with some houseflies. He sent for Muqatil bin Sulaiman and
said, "Why has Allah created these flies?" Muqatil said, "To
humiliate the oppressors through them."
During Mansoor's regime translations
of Suryani and Non-Arabic books began to be made into Arabic. Geometry and
'Kalilah Dimnah' were translated during his times. He made the palmists and
astronomers live near him. It was during his caliphate that the Abbasids and
Alawiites fought otherwise prior to it they were united.
In respect of his nature and habits
and his deeds and remarkable achievements Mansoor Abbasi resembled Abdul Malik
Umayyah. Abdul Malik was the second caliph of the Marwan dynasty and Mansoor
was also the second caliph of the Abbasid dynasty. Abdul Malik saved the
Umayyah caliphate from ruin. Similarly, Mansoor saved the Abbasid caliphate
from Mohammad Mahdi and his brother Ibrahim. Abdul Malik was an Alim (scholar),
a Faqih (an expert on Islamic law) and a Mohaddith (he related the traditions
of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)).
Similarly Mansoor was an Alim and Faqih, Abdul Malik was accused of being
extremely economical and a miser. Mansoor was also notorious for these same two
characteristics. Both of them ruled for almost the same duration. The only difference
between them was the fact that while Mansoor killed people even after granting
them aman (peace and safety), Abdul Malik remained spotless on this point.
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